The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Has a Bigger Welcome Offer Right Now

The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select is offering 80,000 AAdvantage miles right now. Citi has offered this card with 50,000 miles at other times. It is a limited-time offer that runs out around October 28.

• Bonus: 80,000 AAdvantage miles after $3,500 in purchases within the first 4 months of opening the account
• Annual fee: $0 the first year, then $99
• Earlier offer: 50,000 miles (offered at other times)

The spending is the part to size up before you apply. $3,500 in four months is about $875 a month, so this works best if you have a big purchase coming or a household budget that can run through the card without strain. Do not stretch your spending to chase miles.

Check award space for the trip you have in mind before you apply. A bigger bonus does nothing for a seat that is not there. Search the route and dates you want first, then decide. Award space can change before the miles arrive, and the bonus typically takes 8 to 10 weeks to appear in your account after you meet the spending.

The card is a fit for someone who actually flies American, since it also carries a free first checked bag on domestic American itineraries. If you want points that move to many airlines, note that these are AAdvantage miles instead.

The offer runs out around October 28 and no closing hour is posted, so do not leave it for the last evening. The new account bonus is not available if you received one for a Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select account in the past 48 months, or if you converted another Citi card that earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a Platinum Select. The offer is for people who live in the United States and its territories, excluding Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the offer may not be available if you leave the offer page, so apply with the Apply here button.